Legends of Ragnarok
by Draco135-60
Summary: How do such common peoples be known as heroes? They are easily found within the World of RagnarokVenture into the story that starts with two young hunters and a plot of invaision that they soon stumble upon.
1. Chapter 1: The Hunt, Gone Wrong

_**The Hunt, Gone Wrong**_

"RUN!"

Cassandra had let loose a flurry of arrows at a swarm of Soldier Andres that poured into the cavern. Alex had hacked the last piece of honey from the entangled comb that was clinging to the wall with his knife. He packed it into his sack and took up his bow.

"Where did they come from!" Alex yelled as he stared running toward the other end of the cavern.

The Soldier Andres had multiplied within seconds as they marched toward the two hunters. Cassandra and Alex fled to the far off exit of the cavern. Alex turned back after every few bounds to let loose a shower of arrows to try and force back the horde of Soldier Andres. Each arrow met its mark and the dead Soldier Andres cringed before they submitted to death. The other Soldier Andres merely passed their dead brethren and on towards the intruders.

Cassandra took out a miniature flute and blew into it. The loud whistling echoed in the cave. A loud screech answered to its call. A gigantic hawk had appeared and swooped past its master and circled above the incoming swarm.

"Eros!"

Cassandra threw a claymore mine to her hawk and Eros caught it with its talons. Eros quickly planted the mine to the side of the opening gateway where the Soldier Andres continued to pour in. Cassandra took out a switch from her side pocket and activated the claymore mine. The explosion blew a group of Andres to pieces and the shockwaves flew some crashing toward the wall. The explosion had caused the entrance to cave in only slightly. The rubble had merely created a small blockade but the Andres had already made their way around it. The advancement was slowed but that was all that Cassandra needed to make a quick stop.

"Cassandra! What are you doing!" Alex said as he kept close to Cassandra as she was charting out a map.

"Why are you--"

"We can make it down this tunnel. If we continue any further down this path, we'll just hit another fork of tunnels. That tunnel will lead directly to the exit."

Cassandra put away her map and blew on her flute again. Eros had quickly responded to her call. Cassandra made a motion to Eros to lead down the tunnel and the giant feathered hawk obeyed.

Alex drew out another arrow as he heard the scurrying sounds coming closer. The scurrying had become more rapid as it drew near.

"Alex we should--"

"Listen…"

The scurrying had come to a sudden halt. No sound had come from the dark cavern there afterwards. Cassandra was confused as to why the Andre's had come to a sudden stop. Alex crouched down with his bow and stared out into the darkness. Alex could not make out anything from the shadows of the cavern. He reached into his pack and took out a flare. He ignited it and threw it into the darkness of the cavern. Alex was horrified at the sight.

The walls were layered with Soldier Andres as was the very floor of the cavern. The Soldier Andres were surrounding an enormous figure that was lording over them, a Maya.

"Holy Mother of…GAGH!"

A sharp barbed projection had lodged itself into Alex's leg. Alex kneeled further down and grasped the side of his impaled leg.

"Alex!"

The moment Cassandra made a step toward Alex, the Andres had charged forward. Alex threw his head up and saw the oncoming horde. He tried to get up with what remainder of his strength he could muster after being inflicted with the wound in his leg. Cassandra helped Alex up and put his arm around her shoulder. Alex and Cassandra made a desperate dash for the exit.

The Andres had drew closer with every passing second. Alex came to a halt and pushed Cassandra away from him.

"GO!"

Alex turned away from Cassandra and drew out his bow.

"Alex! I can't--"

"GO!"

Cassandra was hesitant to leave but abided Alex's wishes. Alex could not have Cassandra be dragged down because of him. He thought it was better if he died alone rather than have Cassandra die with him. Alex unleashed hails of arrows toward the oncoming swarms. The effort was heroic but meant little. For every one he killed, twenty others advanced in its place. Alex did not give into the desperate situation. He was then suddenly snatched up and dragged away. To his surprise, he was being dragged toward the exit.

A gigantic wolf had come to Alex's salvation. Fang, Alex's loyal great wolf, had dragged its master by his collar with its teeth. It soon then tossed him up onto his back and quickly dashed to the exit.

Cassandra had reached the exit and was quickly commenced with her work. She had already laid three claymores to one side of the exit and was working madly to set up the other three claymores. She could see that Fang had retrieved Alex.

Fang and Alex had made a final leap out into the open. Cassandra was finished and started to run. The Andres were fast approaching to the exit. Before their tendrils even met the outside sands an explosion met them at the exit. The rubble quickly came crashing down upon them. Many of them drew back.

Cassandra from afar could see the cavern had been shut off and finally breathed a sigh of relief. Eros was screeching and circling high above. Cassandra turned her attention toward Alex and Fang. Alex was resting on Fang's back, breathing heavily. Fang whined a little, seeing that his master had been injured. Cassandra knelt down beside Fang and examined the wound on Alex's leg. It was no doubt a poison barb, Cassandra thought.

"Alex…Alex? Can you hear me?"

"Heh…heh, yeah. Crystal clear."

"Alex, I'm going to try to remove the barb from your leg. So please…"

Cassandra said no more and tended to the matter at hand. She was careful trying to position her hand to best remove the barb from Alex's leg. She took hold and with a quick motion she removed it.

"ARGH! Damn…" Alex cursed at the pain.

Cassandra took a cloth and wiped the blood from the wound. She quickly took out some green herbs from her pack and applied it. She then wrapped the cloth around the leg along with the green herbs.

"Its…its not much now but it will have to do. Alex, I don't know for sure but the barb sunk in deep. There might have been…"

"Poison." Alex immediately finished for her.

She was a bit taken back but she seemed to understand Alex's calm demeanor. Alex had already knew what befell him, the second he had the wound inflicted.

"Fang…come, we need to find somewhere to rest." Cassandra said to the bewildered beast.

Fang followed Cassandra down the sandy dunes. Eros followed overhead, observing the area. Cassandra had noticed that they were starting to run out of water. The pouch that contained their water supply had started to yield only drips of water. She had gave most to Alex and some for Fang and herself. They needed to find a source of water soon.

Alex was not faring very well. He sweated, not only because of the desert heat but also from the poison that was running in his leg. He was muttering strange things under his breath. Cassandra had become increasingly worried.

"Alex, don't worry. We'll get you help. Soon, I promise."

Eros screeched overhead. Cassandra looked ahead of her. Beyond several mountain dunes she could spy an oasis. Cassandra was elated at this sight. A sanctuary within a sandy, desolate land. She had Fang increase his pace towards the oasis.

Cassandra laid Alex on the mat she set on the sand, near the oasis' water. Fang had already helped himself to a few laps from the water. Cassandra took out another cloth from her pack. She laid the cloth in the cool waters of the oasis and then she wrenched the excess water back into the oasis. She laid the now cool cloth upon Alex's head. He was already burning up because of the heat. Alex's pain had subsided for the moment and he was resting peacefully.

Cassandra was relieved that they found such a sanctuary but also faced a dire dilemma. She could not move Alex any further. To do so would spread the poison in his body quicker. But she could not stay at the oasis forever. They were already running short on supplies that they brought with them and Alex needed medical attention. The green herbs did not seem to work. They only acted as a suppressant to the poison. They were in dire need of help.

Cassandra contemplating on this matter, had finally struck an idea. She called down Eros from the sky. The massive hawk swept down and rested upon Cassandra's forearm. Cassandra fitted Eros with a message that she wrote.

"Eros, please…fly quickly to Prontera. You know who to seek."

Cassandra let loose Eros from her arm as he flew away into the deep, azure sky. Within a few moments, Eros was out of plain sight. Cassandra turned to Alex. She rested on her side, next to Alex.

"I just hope that she will come in time…"


	2. Chapter 2: A Message from Afar

_**A Message from Afar**_

The skies of Prontera, never have they been so clear. Among the bustling crowd within the market are the tall buildings that stand firm around them. None other glorious structure, than the Prontera church. So long has this structure of God housed many of his servants. But one in particular is being searched for.

Eros had finally made his way to the skies above the Prontera. After gliding upon the warm winds of desert, he had passed through forest lands to finally reach this metropolis.

Eros let out a cry when he had made his to Prontera church.

This cry echoed through the skies and into the ear of a monk who was in meditation. The monk lifted his head up to the skies to see where the cry had come from. He had since been meditating over a pond, floating gently above its waters.

"Hmm? A hawk? Could it be…whoa!"

The monk had a temporary lapse of concentration and this mistake had landed him in the pond. The exasperated monk pulled himself out of the wretched waters.

"Then it must be him…"

The monk had no time to dry himself off. He immediately took flight toward the Church's garden.

Sister Marie Ascirus was tending to the garden at the time. She carefully plucked a few daisies and placed them in her basket but not before she smelled their natural perfume. She suddenly heard a cry from above. Sister Marie looked above her. She had recognized the giant hawk and stood up to greet it.

The hawk made a landing upon Sister Marie's outstretched arm. It folded its wings upon landing and pruned its side with its beak. Sister Marie noticed a paper that was attached to Eros' leg. She untied the string and took the message. As she did so, the hawk immediately took flight again. Sister Marie was rather confused that this hawk would come all the way to Prontera. She opened the message and started to read. Before the end of the message she dropped the basket of flowers she had held in her arms and immediately ran.

"It can not be…" Sister Marie thought.

Sister Marie anxiously ran to the Prontera Church's outward gates. The monk that had fallen in the pool had spotted Sister Marie.

"Sister Ascirus! Sister Ascirus! Marie!"

The monk did a flip jump over Sister Marie and landed right in front of her. Sister Marie was startled when the monk appeared so suddenly.

"I'm sorry, did I scare you?" the monk apologized.

"No…it's alright." Sister Marie said as she passed the monk and continued her way.

The monk was surprised at the dazed look in Sister Marie's eyes. She was usually more focused with her duties. The monk ran and caught up with her.

"Marie, wait! Where are you going?"

The monk had to grab Marie's hand before she came to a stop.

"Brother Darian…please, let me go."

"I can't have you run off in the middle of day without so much as a word on where you're going. Father Richard would have my head, if I did that."

Sister Marie stared at Brother Darian strangely.

"What?"

She pointed to something on top of Brother Darian's head. It was a lily pad from the pond. It seemed to have attached itself when he came out of the water.

"Oh that…I had a little incident at the pond. But that was because I saw a hawk that belongs to your brother."

"It was not my brother's."

"No? Oh wait, that's right, you're brother keeps that monstrous wolf with him. But I remember he had a companion who had kept a hawk. Was that not the same hawk?"

Sister Marie looked away.

"Is something wrong?"

"My brother is hurt…"

"What?" Darian let go of Marie's hand and stared at her with shock.

"Do you know--?"

"He is in a desert near Morroc. I don't know where but I _must_ find him!"

Sister Marie started to go for the gate again. Darian stopped her again.

"You have no idea where in the desert and you are going anyway?"

"He is my brother and I have to--"

"What about your duties at the church? What about Father Richard? More importantly what about you, Marie? You could get hurt while you're in the desert. It is a dangerous place especially if you travel alone."

Marie looked away from Darain but she knew that Darian was right. Her heart blinded her from common sense. Her brother was in dire need that was all she knew. That was all she needed to know. Darian pulled his hood back from his cloak and scratched his head, trying to contemplate the events that have occurred.

"I will go with you. It is better if you have _someone _to travel with. I will talk to Father Richard. He would understand your current situation. Just please don't do anything rash."

Marie nodded and suddenly embraced Darian. Darian, who was taken by surprise, could do nothing but blush.

"Thank you, Darian."

"Um…ahem…it's my duty to help those in need."

Darian finally had the courage to move afterwards. He ran to Father Richard's office within the church. Marie returned to the garden and picked up the flowers that had fallen out of the basket when she dropped it. As she picked up each one, another memory of her brother passed through her mind. She and Alex had a difficult past. She was hurt when her brother decided to move away from Prontera. But she could not go against his wishes. She was reluctant to have him leave, afraid for him. She worried about him daily and to see him hurt…was more than she could bear.

Prontera houses not only the servants of God but servants of King Tristan. Swordsman, Knights, Paladins, and more warriors of Prontera roam its streets. The Prontera Chivalry houses some of those warriors.

Sir Eric was one of these prime warriors of Prontera. He was tutoring some junior swordsman, the _art_ of the sword.

"Come on, scrubs! I thought you would offer more challenge then this!"

The junior swordsmen were exhausted after only sparring with Sir Eric. Eric raised his wooden-made sword and shield.

"Is there not one with enough skill to challenge me?"

Sir Eric flicked his blonde hair brazenly and laughed loudly.

"You should try this some time, Arachius. And visit more often! We haven't seen you in a while!"

The seasoned paladin was watching from the side with another knight, Rachiel.

"Maybe you should tutor our young knight in lessons humility, Arachius. It would do him some good." Rachiel said as she was prodding Arachius to join in the sparring.

Arachius smiled and shook his head from side to side.

"I would doubt it. All that cockiness has been stuffed in his head. I doubt there is room in his head for a lesson in humility."

Rachiel laughed and walked over to help a junior swordsman to his feet.

"I think you might be right."

Eric clashed his sword and shield together and made a spectacle of himself.

"Come on, Arachius! These guys aren't fun anymore! I need a challenge!"

"Hmph, if you insist."

Arachius walked over to one of the junior swordsman who recently fell to Sir Eric.

"May I borrow your sword and shield?" Arachius asked the beleaguered warrior.

"Uh…sure, take them." The swordsman said as he gave his sword and shield to Arachius.

Arachius positioned himself upon the sparring grounds. Eric had already readied himself for Arachius to strike. Eric circled slowly as did Arachius around the sparring grounds.

Eric kept his eyes on Arachius' sword and his movements.

"He is keeping himself wide open. I just need to tag him on the side and he'll go down easily enough." Eric thought.

Arachius had come to a stop and Eric took this opportunity to strike. He charged Arachius at full speed and had his sword ready. Eric made a quick swipe toward Arachius' side but instead met with Arachius' shield. Eric was becoming frustrated at the fact that his first blow did not hit. He continued his onslaught with a flurry of slashes. With each blow that he delivered the sound of the wood clanging upon wood echoed the arena grounds. Arachius had yet to deliver a blow and had kept on the defensive.

"You can't keep this up forever, Arachius! Battles aren't won by sitting on your--AUGH!"

Eric keeled over and a look of shock ran across his face. He had dropped his sword to the ground and fell to his knees. Arachius had delivered a blow before Eric had realized he had been hit.

Applause erupted from the nearby audience and Rachiel could not help but laugh at the sight. Arachius plopped the wooden sword aside and extended his hand toward Eric. Eric was reluctant to take the hand of the one who had humiliated him in front of the crowd but took it nevertheless.

"Battles may not be won by defensive measures alone. But remember, patience is a virtue, Eric. You let your sword arm do your thinking and left your mind sitting on the sidelines of the battlefield. I just needed to wait before you got in over your head."

"Ugh, I think I've been bruised enough today. There's no need to further it by giving me a lecture."

Arachius left the sparring arena with a sigh, seeing how his words have fell on deaf ears. Rachiel followed him out to the grounds of the Prontera Chivalry.

"Are you leaving already? You've barely stayed for a moment." Rachiel asked.

"I have other matters to tend to in Prontera before I leave." Arachius replied.

"Like visiting Marie, perhaps?"

Arachius stopped and looked back Rachiel with a forlorn look.

"Yes, I do plan to meet with her. It has been years since--Sigh--it has been a while since I have seen her. Since I am in Prontera, I should visit her before I leave again."

Rachiel combed back one of her golden bangs and looked above at the azure sky.

"That's all that you seem to do, Arachius. You never were the one to stay in one place. Always obligated somewhere else and could never seem to settle."

Arachius turned away again and walked a few steps forward before he stopped again.

"If I were able to remain in one place, that would be a blessing. But that can not always be so can it, Rachiel? At least this time when I leave, the sun will be shining today."


End file.
